Scan barcode
fromstephspages's reviews
218 reviews
The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Ｒｅｃｏｍｍｅｎｄｅｄ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
enemies to lovers, fake dating, slow burn romance, and stubborn miscommunication with a touch of Spanish culture.
ꜱᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ-ꜰʀᴇᴇ Ｒａｍｂｌｅｓ 💭
Let me start off by saying I highly disliked the miscommunication in this book, if it can be called that? Honestly more like stubbornness. It took so long to get some steaminess going, I’m talking like 80% of the book. Talk about slow burnnn. Despite these not so favorite parts for me, the love was sweet. Very intense, almost instalove-like, so if you’re not into that then this might not be for you. But overall I very much enjoyed the second half of the book because of the smut, conflict, Catalina’s family, and her friendship with Rosalyn.
enemies to lovers, fake dating, slow burn romance, and stubborn miscommunication with a touch of Spanish culture.
ꜱᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ-ꜰʀᴇᴇ Ｒａｍｂｌｅｓ 💭
Let me start off by saying I highly disliked the miscommunication in this book, if it can be called that? Honestly more like stubbornness. It took so long to get some steaminess going, I’m talking like 80% of the book. Talk about slow burnnn. Despite these not so favorite parts for me, the love was sweet. Very intense, almost instalove-like, so if you’re not into that then this might not be for you. But overall I very much enjoyed the second half of the book because of the smut, conflict, Catalina’s family, and her friendship with Rosalyn.
Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover
challenging
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Ｒｅｃｏｍｍｅｎｄｅｄ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
the show You on Netflix and unhealthy romantic relationship dynamics rooted in trauma 🙃
ꜱᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ-ꜰʀᴇᴇ Ｒａｍｂｌｅｓ 💭
The spectrum of emotions were certainly felt throughout this whole book. I won’t lie, I was annoyed because there really wasn’t any actual chemistry between the two MC’s besides their sex. However, I’m not complaining about the steaminess because we love a smutty moment 🫠
Overall, I was so mad at Tate, completely over her a third of the way through. Extremely annoyed with Miles too. I liked Miles’ resolution and how the other point of view was incorporated but I’m feeling some serious conflicting emotions here about the end of the book!
the show You on Netflix and unhealthy romantic relationship dynamics rooted in trauma 🙃
ꜱᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ-ꜰʀᴇᴇ Ｒａｍｂｌｅｓ 💭
The spectrum of emotions were certainly felt throughout this whole book. I won’t lie, I was annoyed because there really wasn’t any actual chemistry between the two MC’s besides their sex. However, I’m not complaining about the steaminess because we love a smutty moment 🫠
Overall, I was so mad at Tate, completely over her a third of the way through. Extremely annoyed with Miles too. I liked Miles’ resolution and how the other point of view was incorporated but I’m feeling some serious conflicting emotions here about the end of the book!
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Ｒｅｃｏｍｍｅｎｄｅｄ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ:
empathize with others and want to feel something through stories of people and their interpersonal issues and situations.
ꜱᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ-ꜰʀᴇᴇ Ｒａｍｂｌｅｓ 💭
Initially I wasn’t too interested in the story, I chalked it up to cultural differences since I knew this novel was translated from it’s original language, Japanese, but I kept going just because… guess what? I am so glad I did! The second story, husband and wife, I was bawling. Omg do they know how to pull on my heartstrings 🤧 After that, full investment and tears throughout. Less tears than before but still! So wonderful 🥲
empathize with others and want to feel something through stories of people and their interpersonal issues and situations.
ꜱᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ-ꜰʀᴇᴇ Ｒａｍｂｌｅｓ 💭
Initially I wasn’t too interested in the story, I chalked it up to cultural differences since I knew this novel was translated from it’s original language, Japanese, but I kept going just because… guess what? I am so glad I did! The second story, husband and wife, I was bawling. Omg do they know how to pull on my heartstrings 🤧 After that, full investment and tears throughout. Less tears than before but still! So wonderful 🥲
The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Ｒｅｃｏｍｍｅｎｄｅｄ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
poetry based on race, sexuality, identity, and a coming of age self discovery journey.
ꜱᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ-ꜰʀᴇᴇ Ｒａｍｂｌｅｓ 💭
I wish I would have had the actual book, reading poetry on my kindle just doesn’t hit the same 🙃 I really enjoyed reading Michael’s story and seeing their growth. My absolute favorite was how the performance was depicted, IYKYK! Also, the epilogue was beautiful! Overall, a sweet and realistic book 🏳️🌈
poetry based on race, sexuality, identity, and a coming of age self discovery journey.
ꜱᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ-ꜰʀᴇᴇ Ｒａｍｂｌｅｓ 💭
I wish I would have had the actual book, reading poetry on my kindle just doesn’t hit the same 🙃 I really enjoyed reading Michael’s story and seeing their growth. My absolute favorite was how the performance was depicted, IYKYK! Also, the epilogue was beautiful! Overall, a sweet and realistic book 🏳️🌈
Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow
challenging
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Ｒｅｃｏｍｍｅｎｄｅｄ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
Southern Black family dynamics and history explained through the stories of three generations of women rooted in Memphis.
ꜱᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ-ꜰʀᴇᴇ Ｒａｍｂｌｅｓ 💭
This book was so lovely. My favorite part was how the different generations of women were portrayed and how their life circumstances were explained. The accuracy and rawness of the traumas and life experiences depicted was heartbreakingly beautiful. I will say, some parts were hard to get through 🥺 and the interwoven stories really gave the book a family feel and strengthened the interconnectedness of the characters. The beginning was a bit confusing for me but after I got past that, it’s beautifully written and just keeps you wanting to know more.
Southern Black family dynamics and history explained through the stories of three generations of women rooted in Memphis.
ꜱᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ-ꜰʀᴇᴇ Ｒａｍｂｌｅｓ 💭
This book was so lovely. My favorite part was how the different generations of women were portrayed and how their life circumstances were explained. The accuracy and rawness of the traumas and life experiences depicted was heartbreakingly beautiful. I will say, some parts were hard to get through 🥺 and the interwoven stories really gave the book a family feel and strengthened the interconnectedness of the characters. The beginning was a bit confusing for me but after I got past that, it’s beautifully written and just keeps you wanting to know more.
On the Come Up by Angie Thomas
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Ｒｅｃｏｍｍｅｎｄｅｄ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ:
have an appreciation for hip hop, rap battles, and enjoy stories of someone trying to make their dreams come true.
ꜱᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ-ꜰʀᴇᴇ Ｒａｍｂｌｅｓ 💭
I really enjoyed this book! It was fun and cute and felt young YA. I did get a little annoyed with Bree after some time because I felt like she really needed to reign it in emotionally. She was having trouble doing that but at the same time, given her age I don’t blame her. There was a lot of trauma and I wish there was more of a focus on that in terms of healing and what that would look like. Overall I love Angie Thomas’s writing, nothing she could write could go wrong in my eyes!
have an appreciation for hip hop, rap battles, and enjoy stories of someone trying to make their dreams come true.
ꜱᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ-ꜰʀᴇᴇ Ｒａｍｂｌｅｓ 💭
I really enjoyed this book! It was fun and cute and felt young YA. I did get a little annoyed with Bree after some time because I felt like she really needed to reign it in emotionally. She was having trouble doing that but at the same time, given her age I don’t blame her. There was a lot of trauma and I wish there was more of a focus on that in terms of healing and what that would look like. Overall I love Angie Thomas’s writing, nothing she could write could go wrong in my eyes!
Verity by Colleen Hoover
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Ｒｅｃｏｍｍｅｎｄｅｄ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
eerie and disturbingly good books that will keep you on edge then leave you questioning everything.
ꜱᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ-ꜰʀᴇᴇ Ｒａｍｂｌｅｓ 💭
If “𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬” was a book- it’d be this 🙃
The way this book had its grip on me.. I’m talking ‘up till 3AM with work the next day hooked’. I will admit, I most certainly had to take 𝗽𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘀 because the descriptions here were 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲 and a bit much sometimes.
Even though I was able to accurately guess what was going to happen at the end, I was not prepared for the 𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝘄𝗶𝘀𝘁 at the end.
Deadass left me tryna fit 𝗉𝗂𝖾𝖼𝖾𝗌, find 𝖼𝗅𝗎𝖾𝗌, and 𝖻𝗎𝗂𝗅𝖽 𝖺 𝖼𝖺𝗌𝖾 to discuss at my book club meeting 😂
eerie and disturbingly good books that will keep you on edge then leave you questioning everything.
ꜱᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ-ꜰʀᴇᴇ Ｒａｍｂｌｅｓ 💭
If “𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬” was a book- it’d be this 🙃
The way this book had its grip on me.. I’m talking ‘up till 3AM with work the next day hooked’. I will admit, I most certainly had to take 𝗽𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘀 because the descriptions here were 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲 and a bit much sometimes.
Even though I was able to accurately guess what was going to happen at the end, I was not prepared for the 𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝘄𝗶𝘀𝘁 at the end.
Deadass left me tryna fit 𝗉𝗂𝖾𝖼𝖾𝗌, find 𝖼𝗅𝗎𝖾𝗌, and 𝖻𝗎𝗂𝗅𝖽 𝖺 𝖼𝖺𝗌𝖾 to discuss at my book club meeting 😂
It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Ｒｅｃｏｍｍｅｎｄｅｄ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
stories that portray raw, vulnerable, and realistic life circumstances resulting in difficult decision making.
ꜱᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ-ꜰʀᴇᴇ Ｒａｍｂｌｅｓ 💭
My first CoHo! I was honestly avoiding these books for so long 𝖻𝖾𝖼𝖺𝗎𝗌𝖾 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗁𝗒𝗉𝖾 BUT I can finally say I understand now. I absolutely 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙙 this book.
This book has me in a chokehold 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨, totally unexpected but SO human!
I loved the portrayal of each character and the advice her mom gives her, the plot twists, the decisions she makes, how the book ends 😭 and the epilogue. There’s just something about the writing, so reader friendly! Oh and the author’s note y’all, powerful. Check trigger warnings.
stories that portray raw, vulnerable, and realistic life circumstances resulting in difficult decision making.
ꜱᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ-ꜰʀᴇᴇ Ｒａｍｂｌｅｓ 💭
My first CoHo! I was honestly avoiding these books for so long 𝖻𝖾𝖼𝖺𝗎𝗌𝖾 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗁𝗒𝗉𝖾 BUT I can finally say I understand now. I absolutely 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙙 this book.
This book has me in a chokehold 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨, totally unexpected but SO human!
I loved the portrayal of each character and the advice her mom gives her, the plot twists, the decisions she makes, how the book ends 😭 and the epilogue. There’s just something about the writing, so reader friendly! Oh and the author’s note y’all, powerful. Check trigger warnings.
Tokyo Dreaming by Emiko Jean
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Ｒｅｃｏｍｍｅｎｄｅｄ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
a young, fun, and relatable main character trying to navigate finding her own path or following a predetermined path while trying to make her parents proud.
ꜱᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ-ꜰʀᴇᴇ Ｒａｍｂｌｅｓ 💭
I really enjoyed this book, 𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝖺𝗌 𝗆𝗎𝖼𝗁 𝖺𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖿𝗂𝗋𝗌𝗍 🤭 BUT Izumi, the MC really just makes this book wonderful. I had so many actual laugh out loud moments.
It’s a great combination of 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 and 𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳 YA vibes. I enjoyed the communication between characters, conflict resolution, and the portrayal of friendships.
I’ll be honest the romance was more in the forefront this time and the trope wasn’t my favorite 🤷🏻♀️ However, seeing Izumi’s personal growth, her self exploration, and how the story concluded was super sweet 💕
a young, fun, and relatable main character trying to navigate finding her own path or following a predetermined path while trying to make her parents proud.
ꜱᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ-ꜰʀᴇᴇ Ｒａｍｂｌｅｓ 💭
I really enjoyed this book, 𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝖺𝗌 𝗆𝗎𝖼𝗁 𝖺𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖿𝗂𝗋𝗌𝗍 🤭 BUT Izumi, the MC really just makes this book wonderful. I had so many actual laugh out loud moments.
It’s a great combination of 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 and 𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳 YA vibes. I enjoyed the communication between characters, conflict resolution, and the portrayal of friendships.
I’ll be honest the romance was more in the forefront this time and the trope wasn’t my favorite 🤷🏻♀️ However, seeing Izumi’s personal growth, her self exploration, and how the story concluded was super sweet 💕
The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Ｒｅｃｏｍｍｅｎｄｅｄ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
historically set books portraying Mexican culture, complicated family dynamics, and 𝙚𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚 𝙫𝙞𝙗𝙚𝙨.
ꜱᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ-ꜰʀᴇᴇ Ｒａｍｂｌｅｓ 💭
I really enjoyed this book though it’s not exactly what I expected. I anticipated a 𝖬𝖾𝗑𝗂𝖼𝖺𝗇 𝖦𝗈𝗍𝗁𝗂𝖼 type of story and I do believe it was like that, but I feel this book was more 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤.
I was wrapped up into the story trying to figure out what was going to happen next. The characters were entertaining, but I don’t want to say it’s gonna be the most memorable book because I don’t think it will be 🤷🏻♀️
Don’t get get wrong, I still enjoyed it and overall I thought it was good! The older timeframe wasn’t my favorite, but that’s just a personal preference because it was portrayed wonderfully.
historically set books portraying Mexican culture, complicated family dynamics, and 𝙚𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚 𝙫𝙞𝙗𝙚𝙨.
ꜱᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ-ꜰʀᴇᴇ Ｒａｍｂｌｅｓ 💭
I really enjoyed this book though it’s not exactly what I expected. I anticipated a 𝖬𝖾𝗑𝗂𝖼𝖺𝗇 𝖦𝗈𝗍𝗁𝗂𝖼 type of story and I do believe it was like that, but I feel this book was more 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤.
I was wrapped up into the story trying to figure out what was going to happen next. The characters were entertaining, but I don’t want to say it’s gonna be the most memorable book because I don’t think it will be 🤷🏻♀️
Don’t get get wrong, I still enjoyed it and overall I thought it was good! The older timeframe wasn’t my favorite, but that’s just a personal preference because it was portrayed wonderfully.